1884 in France explained

Events from the year 1884 in France.

Incumbents

7 March – Eugène Poubelle introduces the dustbin to Paris.^[1] ^[2]
June – At Bắc Lệ, Chinese forces attack a French column sent to occupy Tonkin in accordance with earlier treaties, starting the Sino-French War.
6 June – Treaty of Hué is signed between representatives of Vietnam and the French Empire.
23 August – Battle of Fuzhou: Admiral Amédée Courbet's Far East Squadron virtually destroys China's Fujian Fleet.
1 October – French begin occupation of Keelung (Jilong).
23 November – Siege of Tuyên Quang begins in Indochina: The French Foreign Legion is besieged by forces of the Empire of China.

5 January – Arnaud Denjoy, mathematician (died 1974)
7 February – Achille Liénart, Cardinal (died 1973)
24 March – Eugène-Gabriel-Gervais-Laurent Tisserant, Cardinal (died 1972)
26 March – Paul Legentilhomme, military officer (died 1975)
31 March – Henri Queuille, Radical-Socialist politician and Prime Minister of France (died 1970)
5 May – Jean Decoux, Governor-General of French Indochina (died 1963)
13 June – Étienne Gilson, Thomistic philosopher and historian of philosophy (died 1978)
18 June – Édouard Daladier, Radical-Socialist politician and Prime Minister of France (died 1970)
19 June – Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes, writer and artist (died 1974)
27 June – Gaston Bachelard, philosopher (died 1962)
30 June – Georges Duhamel, author (died 1966)

4 July – Pauline Carton, actress (died 1974)
7 July – André Dunoyer de Segonzac, painter and graphic artist (died 1974)
10 July – Pierre Larquey, actor (died 1962)
12 July – Edgar Stehli, French-born American actor (died 1973)
3 August – Georges Boillot, motor racing driver and World War I fighter pilot (died 1916)
25 August – Léon Poirier, film director, screenwriter and film producer (died 1968)
27 August – Vincent Auriol, politician, President of France (died 1966)
4 September – Henri Meslot, athlete (died 1973)
24 September – Gustave Garrigou, cyclist, 1911 Tour de France winner (died 1963)
25 September – Rita Jolivet, American-born actress (died 1971)
4 October – Félix Gouin, politician (died 1977)
27 October – André Le Troquer, politician and lawyer (died 1963)
2 December – Jean Paulhan, writer, literary critic and publisher (died 1968)

3 February – Eugène Rouher, statesman (born 1814)
4 April – Adolphe Dugléré, chef (born 1805)
10 April – Jean-Baptiste Dumas, chemist (born 1800)
6 May
- Judah P. Benjamin, American-born Jewish United States Senator from Louisiana from 1853 to 1861 (born 1811)
- Marie-Alphonse Ratisbonne, Jew who became a Jesuit Catholic priest and missionary (born 1814)
10 September – Jean-Augustin Barral, agronomist (born 1819)
13 December – Eugène Pelletan, writer, journalist and politician (born 1813)